This Collection of his Writings and Photographs is a Memorial to the Life and Work of Murdoch MacKenzie

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY ON RADIO OBAN FM

10 minute Service for Sunday 2nd May 2010

Murdoch MacKenzie Good morning. As we approach the General Election we begin with a prayer from St Ignatius of Loyola.

Let us pray:

Teach us, Good Lord, To serve Thee as Thou deservest; To give and not to count the cost; To fight and not to heed the wounds; To toil and not to seek for rest; To labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Amen.

‘To serve Thee as Thou deservest.’ Jesus has much to say about service and serving. In Matthew 23:11 ‘ Whoever is greatest among you shall be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled and all who humble themselves will be exalted.’ In Mark 9:35 ‘ Whoever wants to be first, must be last of all and servant of all.’ And Mark 10:42 ‘ You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be servant of all. For the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ As we exercise our sacred duty to vote this week surely whoever we vote for in whatever party, we are hoping for someone who will come not to be served but to serve. Someone who will work for the Common Good of all of us here in Argyll and for those both nearby, here in Oban, and far away across the world, whose lives are hurting due to poverty, injustice or greed. Someone who will weep when we are weeping, who will share our joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through. On our part we remember that our God is the Servant King, he calls us now to follow him, to bring our lives as a daily offering of worship to the Servant King. In the global village we are all pilgrims on a journey, here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load. We are called to be as Christ to one another, to share our joys and sorrows, be we in Scotland, England, Greece, Europe, Africa, Louisiana or wherever. It is for this that we vote on Thursday, not for a Party or a slogan, not simply for an individual but that God’s will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

And so we pray

God in heaven, Your name is to be honoured. May your new community of hope Be realised on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today the essentials of life. Release us from our wrongdoing As we also release those who wrong us. Do not test us beyond our enduring; Save us from all that is evil. For you embrace justice, love and peace, Now and to the end of time. Amen And we sing the hymn: Brother, sister, let me serve you, let me be as Christ to you; pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too. We are pilgrims on a journey, and companions on the road; we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load. I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night-time of your fear; I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear. I will weep when you are weeping; when you laugh I’ll laugh with you; I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through. When we sing to God in heaven we shall find such harmony, born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony. Brother, sister, let me serve you, let me be as Christ to you; pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.Richard A. M. Gillard In work and worship God is with us Gathered and scattered God is with us Now and always God is with us